Education is based on a three-tier model which includes primary schools, followed by secondary schools and tertiary education at universities or other institutes of the same level. In India, there are many cities which are very well educated. Kolkata and Delhi are two of the most intellectual cities in India. There are differences in the education system in both the cities. But both the cities have advantages and disadvantages. Let us look at the system individually before running into a conclusion.

We have to accept the fact that Delhi is superior in the fields of business and commerce, but it is not the same when it comes to education. A survey carried out recently by Wipro in association with an educational research organization shows that Kolkata is head and shoulders above Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore in scholastic quality.

A total of 16 top schools from each city were considered for the survey that consisted of exams and viva voce on Maths, English and Science. Though the names of the city schools considered for the survey were not divulged, the surveyors revealed that of the 16 top schools, 64% are affiliated to ICSE, 7% to CBSE and 29% to the West Bengal board. "Most of the top ICSE schools from Kolkata that were considered for the survey are Anglo Indian schools controlled by either the CNI or the Catholic Church. However, Kolkata ICSE schools in question are much ahead of schools in the other cities that we considered," said a spokesperson from the social and community initiatives cell of Wipro.

According to the survey, christened Quality Education Study (QES), there is a clear gap of 10 percentage points between leader Kolkata and trailer Bangalore. The study was conducted among a total of 23,000 students of classes IV, VI and VIII in the five cities. The survey result states that Kolkata has topped while Delhi has clinched the second position each time. 

Take the case of Maths. In the study conducted for proficiency levels among students of Class VI, Kolkata has managed to finish at 53.2%, Delhi at 48.6. When the same exam was conducted for Class-VIII students, Kolkata again occupied the first position at 66.8, Delhi 63.7. Even in case of English, Kolkata managed to stride ahead of the others with aplomb. At a test conducted for Class-IV kids, Kolkata finished at 48.8%, Delhi at 42.7. In case of the results for a test of English for Class VIII, Kolkata maintained its sway with 53.5, Delhi 50.5.

Delhi University

But on the other hand, Delhi boasts of being home to some of the top engineering colleges in India — IIT Delhi, NIT Delhi, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, NSIT, Delhi Technological University (formerly DCE) and Jamia. Delhi also boasts several private and few government engineerings institutions like Ambedkar Institute of Advanced Communication Technologies and Research and G. B. Pant Engineering College, New Delhi, which are usually affiliated to the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a Faculty of Engineering under Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Two of India's oldest engineering institutions are located in Kolkata namely Bengal Engineering & Science University and Jadavpur University. Kolkata has twenty public universities or autonomous institutions that award their own degrees or diplomas. As per the schooling is concerned, private candidates can appear for examinations of either the CBSE, West Bengal boards and other state boards which conduct their courses in the city. Non-privileged children mainly attend government primary schools, if they attend school at all. The quality of education available in these schools is not, by world standards, good. There have been recent initiatives, such as Shikhshalaya Prakalpa, to bring more children into the school system and improve the quality of teaching.

Schools in Delhi are run either by the government or private sector. They are affiliated to one of three education boards: the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). As per the survey conducted in 2001, Delhi had some 2416 primary, 715 middle and 1576 secondary schools.

As per the living condition is concerned, Kolkata is a lot cheaper place to live in for a student whereas Delhi will prove to be a bit costlier. Both cities are good in the respective ways. Kolkata proves to be the better place to be at keeping everything in mind when it comes to education.